The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-01-20
CONFEDERATE CASH.
What Became of it After tho War.

mand for certain Confederate States
bonds, which few years ago made them
worth s13 thousand, gave rise to very
general belief that there was in England
considerable sum of money which had
belonged to the dead government.
There is no doubt that when the war
closed, the confederacy had money in
England, in the hands of its agents aud
their bankers. What became of it? A
few days ago, in the course of conver-
sation with General James Walker, of
Virginia, heard some statements on
this subject which surprised me very
much, and which may interest the read.
ers of the Constitution.
1 do not pretend to give General
Walkers exact language, but / am con.
fdent that every statement made by him
is reported with substantial accuracy.
As to
GENERAL JAMES WALKER
himself, / need say nothing to command
him to credence. He is a native of Mis-
souri,, the son of former treasurer of
that State. He graduated with distinc.
ton at West Point and entered the army
about the time the Mexican war began.
In that war be was distinguished as a
gallant " ung officer. When the civil
war began he was captain of artillery.
he threw his fortunes with the south,
and, by brave and successful service,
rose to the rank OF major general. He
enjoyed an intimate acquaintance with
nearly all of the leading spirits Of the
copfederacy, and is we'll known to officers
of the old army and of the confederate
army in all parts of the United States.
This is what he says about the confeder'
ate treasure in England:
"Soon after the close of the war I left
Havana on steamer for Liverpool.
On board I met Judah P. Benjamin,
whom I had known we'll for number of
years. During the voyage we conyersed
freely as to our plans for the future. We
had both risked our all with the cause
then lost and the sympathy engendered
by our mutual misfortune brought ns
much closer together than we had been
even in our hitherto intimate acquain-
tance. remember how sorry felt for
Mr.. Benjamin when he told me that he
had hardly dollar in the world; that
he was going to London to enter the
practice of the law and that he hoped to
get along through the influence of some
strong friends in England. I considered
myself comparatively fortunate. | was
on my way to accept q salary ofsG,OOO a
year from large English commercial
house. The first news l had on MY
landing at Liverpool was that the house
which made noe the offer had failed. I
had other friends there and found en-
ployment.
"About one year after Mr.. Benjamin
and arrived in Eng land the great bank
ing concern of Owen & Guiley, of Lon.
don, went down. 1t had been long
considered one of the staunchest institu.
tions in the money capital of the world,
aud its failure created great excitement.
When statement of its affairs was pub.
lished was surprised to see Judah P.
Bepjamin's name as depositor to the
enormous amount of $4,000 pounds
sterling. could not understand how my
poor Companion du voyage" had accu'
mulated such property
WITHIN ONE YEAR,
and when met him asked him about it.
He told me that the failure of the bank
was terrible blow to him. He said be
had, short time before, received large
bequest from one Heiliger, who had been
confederate commercial agent at Nassau.
Benjamin always stuck to his Jewish
race with admirable fidelity, and through
his influence Heilger had been sent to
Nassau to represent the confederate
government. Benjamin told me that
Heiliger died without family and left him
his entire fortune.
"Mr. Collin McRae, Of Mobile, who
had figured in the confederate congress,
was sent TO England during the war as
financial agent of the confederacy. He
was man of decided ability and had
acquired large influence in London.
81 knew there was money to the credit
of the confederate States in London, and
after we had been there some time Mr..
Benjamin told me that McRae had in his
possession some 10000 pounds sterling,
which had come to him in his capacity
as financial agent of the lost cause. He
said that DlcRae had been to him to ask
advice as to what he should do with this
money, and that he had advised McRae
to hold on to it for the present. About
this time John G. Breckinridge arrived
in England. A proposition was made to
him by Benjamin and McRae to join
them and act as administrator of the
effects of the defunct government. Gen.
eral Breckinridge promptly declined to
do so, but did accept six months unpaid
salary as confederate cabinet officer.
Twelve thousand five hundred dollars,
half years salary, was forwarded to MIR.
Jefferson Davis, and l think all the mem
bers of his cabinet were paid in like pro-
portion.
Associated with McRie in the manage
ment of our finances there was MIR. Bull
lock, of Georgia, who had been largely
instrumental in the equipment OF "The
Alabama" When the survivors of that
famous cruiser escaped into England
after the fatal battle with "The Kear'
sage" they were all paid in full. This
was nearly year before the cessation Of